


bridges to burn & places to run

by syntheticvision



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Belligerent Sexual Tension, Blatant Disregard of Authority, Casual Blowjobs, Daddy Kink, F/M, Jailtime, Kingpin Thor, Lots of Handcuffs, Parole Officer Bucky Barnes, Recidivism, Sex, Surpise Inspections, Swearing, Thievery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:14:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syntheticvision/pseuds/syntheticvision
Summary: A parole officer finds it challenging to not go down a path of destruction when he’s assigned a recently paroled thief with a penchant for mischief.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Thor (Marvel)/Reader, Thor/Gamora
Comments: 52
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right. We are bad right out of the gate 😈.
> 
> As always, I will tag as we go along. While I'm about that dark fic life, I'm trying something new. Also, I'm not terribly versed in the ins and outs of a parole officer so while I'm researching, we're also going to take some, uh, creative leaps.

The door creaked open with the force of his knock, his hat slung low over his brow as he heard the distinctive sound of a male voice, his tactical vest hugging his muscular frame as he pushed it open. The strong earthy smell of a certain strain of weed hit his nose as he frowned, jaw clenching as he called out his presence.

Another violation. Which meant more paperwork. More phone calls.

His fingers went to the cuffs in his pocket as he repeated himself loudly with an irritated sigh as he continued down the hallway. So much for heading to the gym after this check in, he thought, rolling his eyes as he inhaled another scent. Alcohol. The boxes continued to be ticked.

He was racking up the charges when he came full stop to the scene in front of him, his mouth dropping open.

“Fuck, fuck,” the voice above you panted, the hands that you had ordered to stay at his side now on top of your head, your mouth full of cock as you growled at the touch.

The vibration from your throat sent him over the edge, spilling into your mouth as you heard your name being shouted from behind you. With a wet pop of removal from your mouth and a low swear of surprise from the receiver of your ministrations, you turned around, looking at the muscular parole officer who was looking back at you with a hard stare and a disapproving shake of his head. Cuter than the others. You’d noticed that immediately. Even the disapproving face was hot. His hair was longer than you’d expected, hidden under his cap but long enough for you to notice.

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, the sound of a belt clicking as apologies were mumbled ahead of you, his feet not moving fast enough as he pushed past the officer.

The door slammed closed and you raised an eyebrow as you honed in on the name on the vest. He was new, definitely not Officer Barton. You weren’t sure who would be assigned to you, you’d cycled through so many that you’d lost track. It was a pity Barton had decided to retire. You’d gotten away with more than you should have. He hated the paperwork. This one looked like he loved it.

“Officer Barnes,” you greeted with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

He looked around the room, the blunts on the ashtray and the empty beer bottles.

“Looks like you’ve been having a good time,” he mused dryly, his hands on his hips as he reviewed the contents in the rest of the space. You’d seen that look before. He was counting up the charges.

“I’d say two violations,” you piped up, moving from your knees to back on the couch. “Three if you count my tête-à-tête.”

Officer Barnes didn’t take the bait to engage with you. You heard the sound of the cuffs and you held out your wrists, giving him innocent eyes as he stood over you. You smiled as you leaned forward.

“I know the drill, Officer. I’m no stranger to restraints.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short introduction into what we are getting ourselves (and Bucky) into...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to jail is brief when a savior posts bail. More hijinks ensue when Barnes is alerted to a jewelry store theft.

“Do you want to make a phone call?” Barnes asked you, one of his hands guiding both of your cuffed wrists down the hallway to the hoots and hollers of your past inmates acquaintances. Your old stomping grounds.

It was good to be back, even if you weren’t going to be there long.

“Can’t think of a single person I’d wanna call. But thank you, Officer Barnes. You’re sweet,” you answered, watching him ignore the whistles. Clearly he was a favorite.

Barnes led you into a cell, unlocking the cuffs as he closed the door behind you, his gaze still on you with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re most likely going to need a lawyer for these violations.”

“Maybe,” you purred, leaning back against the wall. “Or I’ll just get out and not have to worry about it.”

“You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who just got put back in jail.”

You batted your lashes at him with a coy smirk.

“I’m an optimist.”

With a huff, Barnes left, shaking his head as he ignored the cat calls that followed him until the door to the hallway closed.

One of the frequent fliers sucked in her teeth at the closed door.

“Girl, that’s your parole officer? What happened to Barton?”

She was full of questions.

“Retired, I think.”

“You ain’t gonna get a break with Barnes. He’s a hard ass. Guess your luck just ran out.”

You scoffed at the comment. A likely story. He was following orders. Standard procedure. Like the others.

“Hardly. He won’t be able to handle me. Just like Barton and Lang. He’s just quieter. I’m not stressing.”

“I dunno, I hear things about him. He’ll throw the book at you by the looks of him.”

You lifted your shoulders in a dainty shrug. It didn’t matter. It was about time you left the city anyway. If it meant leaving Barnes in the dust then so be it. You didn’t need another babysitter.

“Suit yourself. I guess we’ll be seeing you in here more often.”

You smiled with a scrunch of your nose.

“Don’t count on it.”

🚨

It took approximately less than an hour to have an officer open the cell door, not even bothering to hide your triumphant smirk as you left them behind.

She always came through. You weren’t sure how many more good graces you had left but it didn’t matter at the moment.

Gamora gave you a piercing stare while she held up the small plastic bag with the contents of your purse. By her expression, you knew this spring out of jail was going to cost you.

“Where’s my Louie?” you demanded, Gamora holding the bag from your reach as you huffed in response.

“You’re welcome for breaking you out of jail. And it’s gone. They are getting it tested for any traces of drugs and prints,” she mused. “You just had to go and get yourself a new parole officer, didn’t you?”

You rolled your eyes as the small bag hit your chest, her hand motioning above her head for you to follow her outside. As luck would have it, Officer Barnes crossed your path in disbelief, craning his neck as you put a bounce in your step.

“See you around, Officer Barnes,” you called out, pushing the door open to your freedom.

Gamora tossed you a helmet before she put hers on, waiting for you to get on the bike. You held on to her waist after you secured it over your head, the bike taking off from the parking lot.

You’d run in the same circles since you were teenagers, falling into the same line of work. Hers are arguably more behind the scenes, stealthy in the way she conducted her business. Never one for the fanfare, she left that all up to you.

“It’s gonna cost me, isn’t it?” you asked, your voice rising above the rev of the engine.

Even with her helmet covering her face, you knew that smirk she was known for was painted over her face.

“Of course it is. They doubled your bail from last time.”

It didn’t matter. You’d make that back and then some once you got back to your apartment. You’d hit up a few stores, take what you wanted and you’d be back in the black.

Easy peasy.

At the red light, you took one long look at the jewelry store across from you. Glass windows, boxed displays.

Oh yeah. It was going to be a piece of cake.

🚨

Bucky’s pen hung out the side of his mouth, his fingers flying over the keyboard in his earnest search.

How in the hell had she managed to post bail within an hour? Her file had over a dozen violations when he’d checked last, not even counting the two he’d added once he’d gotten back to his desk.

He let out a sigh as he gritted his teeth, his searches pulling up nothing but headlines that boasted her achievements. Grand larceny, a few minor weapons charges. The past two parole officers had gone soft, paperwork and injunctions not filed so that she was allowed to do whatever she pleased.

That would all stop with him. He’d make sure of it. Placed in the department to clean up the mess of bloated budgets, unmotivated officers who were saddled with too much workload and not enough support, he’d been handed her file to ensure that she was to be watched carefully. A super criminal in the making, they’d decreed. Bad friends in high places, Barton had informed him as he stuffed his mouth full of cake at his retirement party.

It was her charm, Lang admitted. She made you want to protect her, coddle her from harm. Maybe it was the innocent eyes, he’d guessed.

Nevermind that she was the one causing all the destruction.

Excuses, excuses.

He leaned back in his chair, studying her mugshot with her tongue touching her upper lip as she winked. No sense of order or decorum.

Bucky couldn’t get the image of her out of his head. On her knees with a cock stuffed in her mouth, her head moving back and forth before he interrupted, the gleam in her eye when she wiped her mouth. As the thought sunk in again, he ignored the stirring of his own cock in his pants, locking his computer as he downed a bottle of water.

He wasn’t going to be so easily swayed. That pretty face was still committing crimes and breaking the terms of her parole. Even if orange wasn’t her color, she’d learn to live with it unless she could turn her life around.

And he wasn’t a miracle worker.

🚨

The music was loud as Gamora placed the helmets back on her bike, the ground thumping with the bass from the warehouse a few feet away.

“Don’t get excited. It’s not a welcome party for you,” Gamora chided. “You get to tell him how you’re going to pay him back.”

“Don’t worry about that,” you assured her, heading through the open doors as the guards lifted their heads at you while they moved out of the way.

You danced your way inside, music surrounding you as the bass throbbed around your body. For the moment, you were lost in the music, circling the party goers as the DJ above you seemed otherworldly in his all white ensemble. If you were drunk, you would have thought this was heaven.

You climbed the steel steps, the sea of people still swaying to the music almost in unison. The loft above the scene below you provided enough protection from prying eyes, your eyes on him as he lounged on a leather sofa. He’d been waiting for you.

At the sight of you, Thor sat up, beckoning you to come forward, his gaze soft as you got your knees one you reached him, his large hands cupping your face as he caressed your cheeks with his thumbs before he kissed you.

“You’re expensive, Princess,” he grinned, his thumb rubbing against your lower lip. “Double the bail.”

“I know, Daddy,” you purred back, your eyes wide as he kissed your forehead.

“You’ll pay it back,” he assured, his deep voice rich and soft. “You always do.”

“Of course,” you agreed, his fingers sliding down to your neck and to your tank top that he pulled down over your shoulders. “I’ll give it back and then some.”

“I never worry about you paying me back.” His thumbs slid under the thin straps of your bra, pulling them down as the cool air hit your bared breasts. “This alone would pay your debt.”

You purred at the way his hands cupped them, expert fingers brushing against your hardened nipples before he lifted you into his lap.

“Do you wanna know a secret?” you asked, helping him pull off his shirt to reveal his chiseled body.

“What’s that?”

You leaned forward to whisper in his ear before you took his earlobe between your teeth lightly.

“I found a new place to get your diamonds.”

🚨

His phone lit up in the darkened space of his bedroom, vibrating loudly as the ringtone blared. After a few unsuccessful tries to pick it up without looking, Bucky squinted through his sleep laden eyes and swiped to answer, his hand covering his eyes.

“Barnes.” His voice was raw, still rough as he tried to wake up.

“Your new case. She’s still in jail, yeah?”

“No. Why?”

There was a slight chuckle on the other end.

“There’s been a burglary. Looks like her handiwork. It’s all gone. Every single diamond. No sign of forced entry.”

Bucky hung up, tossing his phone off into the unknown as it clattered to the floor.

“Fuck me,” he growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An inspection brings a small threat. Thor is delighted at his prize.

Like you had suspected, breaking in had been a piece of a cake.

The security system was laughably easy to hack into. You'd shut it down within seconds, carefully lifting every piece of jewelry into your case. Thor would be pleased with what you found, paying off your debt and then some, just like you had assured him. He'd always had a soft spot for you. Even putting you ahead of Gamora, though she would never admit it. Where she was more controlled, you were carefree, not afraid to get caught.

Thor was always there to catch you if you fell. So you rewarded his kindness tenfold.

And with the jewelry hidden above you in the crawlspace, you'd have it to him within the hour.

Your music was loud, hips rolling to the beat as you danced as you counted the money. You'd sworn there was a knock but at the tilt of your head, you listened again for a moment before you continued counting.

You weren't ever going to get your Louie Vuitton bag back. But the amount you held in your hand meant you could buy at least two more.

"Drip drip drop, then he slurp it like a slurpee," you sang along as you heard another knock. Louder this time, almost demanding.

Probably the neighbor downstairs. A fearful string of a man who most likely would ask you once again, respectfully as he whined so often, looking past your usual outfits and asking you to turn it down. Wrapping your bundle of money in a rubber hand and hiding it.

You flung open the door, already expecting to see the frail man that usually wrung his hands before he greeted you.

Leaning against the doorway, you stared up at your parole officer, who looked less than pleased to see you. The typical response, of course. None of them were ever happy to be in your presence but the expression on his face was one you hadn't seen before. The glare was almost as if he _knew_ you'd been up to something. The tactical vest was smart, you reasoned, knowing you'd hidden your weapons around the house. Most of your parole officers had been in shape - they had to be, especially since you were a runner - but Barnes took it to another level, the black Henley stretched across his broad chest.

"Office Barnes," you greeted with a smile. "To what do I owe this visit?"

He leaned forward, inhaling as he narrowed his eyes at you.

"Smells clean this time," he replied.

"The Hulk," you admitted with a knowing nod. "It's a big, strong strain. Probably won't touch it again. Especially since it violates my terms."

"I'm sure. You wanna turn the music down?"

You shrugged, pushing the door open wider with your foot.

"You wanna come in? Inspect to make sure I'm not hiding any contraband?"

"Turn the music down," he ordered, walking past you as his gaze swept through the living room. You noticed the flex in his biceps as he continued, looking at the coffee table.

You clicked the remote and the music ceased as you rolled your eyes. You'd cleaned everything, watching him check behind the blinds and under the couch, a single lift of his fingers moving the heavy couch up before he placed it down.

"Got a call there was a robbery last night. The place was picked clean," Barnes started to say, walking into the kitchen. "Cameras disabled within seconds. Gave whoever it was plenty of time to pack up and get away."

"Sounds awful," you chimed in, hiding a smile as he opened the drawers. "They must have had a shitty security system."

"Do you speak from experience?"

You hopped up on the counter, your legs dangling against drawers as you closed them with your heel. The least he could do was close them himself but by the looks of things, he wasn't planning to.

"Me? I'm more of a lookout, myself. Or, at least, I used to be. Trying to turn over a new leaf," you said earnestly.

"I'm inclined not to believe that," Barnes countered, his metal hand running up the side of the wall before it made a fist. With a hard tap at the heel of his fist, the bundle of money fell from the top of the cabinet and into the floor.

You stared at it as he picked up, holding it up to you.

"What's this?"

You reached for it as he held out of reach.

"My savings," you shot back, hopping off the counter as he held it higher.

"Over one-hundred thousand in jewelry and over eight thousand in cash. Let's see how much you have here, shall we?"

You swallowed hard as he popped off the rubber band, his eyes on you as he counted out the bills. How had he known that you'd tossed the money up at the top, let alone know to apply that much pressure to the wall to get it to fall?

He counted quickly, eyes still on you as he reached his final number.

"Seven thousand, eight hundred, and fifty. Where's the rest?" he asked.

You blew out a breath - one of relief - before you shrugged.

"How should I know? Wouldn't it all be there?"

Barnes re-counted to make sure, raising an eyebrow as he came to the same number.

"I told you, it's my savings," you lied, holding out your hand for it to be returned to you. "You're allowed to do a lot of things, Officer Barnes. But taking my hard-earned savings isn't one of them."

"I'm not buying it," he continued, placing the money into your waiting palm. "Where were you last night?"

"Here. Why?"

He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his muscled chest.

"You expect me to believe that you made bail, came home, and spent your entire night here? Even with the fact that several witnesses say they saw you attend a party at a warehouse a few blocks away from here?"

You gave him a polite smile.

"Why don't you tell me what you think I did? So then this can be over and you can be on your way. I have things to do, Officer Barnes."

Barnes uncrossed his arms, taking two steps toward you until your back was pressed against the counter. He lowered his head to yours as he smiled back.

"You know what I think? I think you went to that party. Danced a little bit, maybe even got a little drunk. Got bold and you broke into that jewelry store. I know your work. It's all you. I can't prove it without evidence but I know for a fact that money you have in your back pocket isn't savings. If it was, you wouldn't have dropped that hundred and fifty on the bottom stairs," Barnes replied, holding up the money between his fingers. "Someone was in a rush."

You tried to snatch it from his fingers, his arm blocking you as he shook his head.

"You wanna finish out the rest of your life in prison? Because that's how you do it. You fuck with me and I throw you in there myself."

"Such harsh language, Officer," you pouted, pricking the money from his fingers as you slid away from him. You couldn't deny the way your body reacted when he swore as you smirked back. "But unless you have more proof than money, it's all speculation. Right?"

Barnes let out a low laugh as you spied the weapons on his belt.

"I could put you in for less. Gotta meeting with your lawyer in a few hours." He continued, walking toward your bedroom as you followed behind him.

"I'm sure you'll give me a glowing review."

He pushed open the door, finding your bed made and the space clean as he lifted the mattress and checked your dresser.

"As much as the last gentleman you entertained," he remarked dryly, heading out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

"I'm good with my mouth. I could give you a demonstration."

Barnes let out a huff as he opened up the drawers as he shook his head.

"You're a real piece of work. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Once I've brushed my teeth," you responded, watching him check the cabinets before he turned his attention back to you.

"You wouldn't be propositioning me, would you?" he asked mildly, his hands on the top of the doorframe, his jaw clenched as you took a step forward.

"Not if you didn't want me to."

You were close enough to kiss him, your tongue pressing against the seam of your lips as he rolled his eyes, his body slightly pushing you out of the way as he took one long look around the apartment, a large hand sweeping back his dark hair.

"You passed inspection this time but I meant what I said. Once I find out you broke into that shop, you're done."

You balled your fists in front of your eyes and twisted your hands in a crying motion.

"Don't hold your breath, Officer Barnes," you replied with a smile as you opened the door. "See you for the next inspection."

🚨

The case toppled to the ground with a purposeful noise as you saw Gamora prop herself with her arm, watching you sleepily as Thor's arm was snaked around her middle, his eyes bright as the case caught his attention. You couldn't help the small sneer that reached your lips as Gamora rubbed her eyes before turning to kiss Thor's cheek as she turned her attention back to you.

"Some of us were sleeping," she informed you with a dismissive hand.

"Not me," you responded, picking up the case as you came toward Thor, his arm outstretched for you to come to sit next to him.

"Princess," Thor greeted as he yawned. "Is that what I think it is?"

You opened the case, looking over your shoulder at Gamora who was now in the background.

"It sure is," you cooed, popping open the case as the jewelry sparkled in the light. "It's all there."

"And I'm sure you managed to not be seen," came Gamora's reply. "Lest we post bail for you again."

"I'm smarter than that," you snapped back, watching Thor's smile widen as he selected a diamond necklace and lifted it.

"I think you deserve a reward," he praised, leaning up to place the necklace over you as he fastened the back. "There."

You inched up your chin, making sure Gamora could see.

"How do I look?" you asked her.

"Like a criminal."

"Now, now," Thor quipped, closing the case as he placed it back on the floor, pulling you into his arm. "My princess and my sweetheart all under the same roof. A case full of jewels and a beautiful morning. Am I not a lucky man?"

He held you both close in his grip as Gamora rolled her eyes at you before you leaned down to kiss him gently.

"I told you I would come through, Daddy."

Gamora slipped out of his grasp, her naked form heading to the bathroom as you heard the shower begin to run.

Thor lifted your chin, kissing you deeply as you straddled his lap. In this game of who he favored, you knew that you'd won this round, his hands going to your waist as you felt him growing hard underneath you.

"Gamora," you whispered against his lips. "You know how she hates when you..."

Your panties were pulled to the side, your skirt up against your hips. Thor pressed against your slick entrance as you lifted your knees slightly and sank back with a low moan as you took him inside you, the same familiar stretch that made you wince and feel good at the same time.

"She'll be in there stewing for at least thirty minutes. You've earned your reward, Princess. Let Daddy make you feel good."

You rocked your hips forward slowly, his mouth hungry against your warm skin as he pulled up your t-shirt and tossed it to the side.

"I need a favor," he growled as he lifted his own hips to meet you. "There's another jewelry store. Two blocks away. Take it down, clean it out for Daddy, won't you?"

"Mhm," you squeaked, his thrusts getting harder with your reply.

"I need it done before the end of the week. Tell me you can do it."

Your fingernails scored his chest as you nodded, not wanting him to stop.

"I wanna hear the words."

"Yes, Daddy," you cried loudly, hearing Gamora's hiss of disapproval.

"That's my good girl," Thor growled, flipping you onto your back.

🚨

Barnes placed a paper cup of coffee in front of the smartly dressed lawyer.

"We're out of tea," Barnes informed him. "Hope coffee works."

"It will work just fine, Officer Barnes. While I am a fan of manners, I am no stranger to parole officers and your job. Might I call you James?"

Barnes leaned back in his chair, looking at the large file before he looked back at the man with the raven hair in front of him.

"Bucky, Mr. Laufeyson. Just Bucky," he answered.

"Ah, well," Mr. Laufeyson replied with a slight chuckle. "Then you must call me Loki. I insist."

"Alright. Loki it is. I guess we can get started looking at the recent violations of her parole," Bucky began, flipping open the folder as he pulled out a few papers. "Possession, her blood alcohol level was double what it needed to be. I'm trying hard to understand why she isn't on house arrest, let alone not still in jail. These are serious offenses. I'd like to know how she continues to slip past these restrictions."

Loki smiled, looking over the papers that were passed to him.

"Judge Korg seems to have a soft spot for women. We believe she can be reformed. I don't think she's a lost cause, Bucky. A wayward soul with a firecracker for a mouth. We could all do much worse."

Bucky pointed to her recent mug shot.

"When I went for inspection, she was on her knees giving some idiot head while she was supposed to be clean."

Loki's eyes narrowed at Bucky as he smirked.

"So was she clean? Or did you find it discomforting that she was in a compromised position with a lover? Those are two very different things. I'd hate to find out your judgment is clouded by your feelings," Loki responded.

"She wasn't clean. Blood alcohol level through the roof, at least two fat blunts on the tray. That's not clean, that's breaking the rules. I don't give a shit if she blows half the city. That isn't my business. My business, Loki, is knowing that she's compliant with the rules that were set forth. I can't ignore those violations any more than you can try to explain them away. We both have jobs to do and it appears that one of us isn't holding up their end."

Loki nodded slowly as silence filled the air.

"Let me speak with her before you file the charges."

Bucky shook his head in response. There would be no way he would not file the charges. She needed to be taught a lesson and rehabilitation hadn't worked in her favor before. She'd been hauled there twice and each time had left on her own accord, back to the life that she found comfortable. Rehab wouldn't change that. Therapy perhaps but that could be done while she was behind bars, as far as he was concerned.

He had to be strict. Especially with someone like her. That short little jersey dress she wore that left nothing to the imagination when he came to do her inspection, the way she was so close that he could almost touch her. He'd never been swayed before and he wouldn't start now. Even if he wondered how he would have reacted if she had kissed him.

Bucky slammed his hand on the table.

"You have two days," Bucky warned him, holding up two fingers. "That's it. Rehab and therapy or I file every single charge."

"Fair enough. Two days," Loki promised. "I give you my promise she'll stay out of trouble."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor’s vacation breeds contempt as the next jewelry store is cleaned out. Bucky reunites with an old flame but his attentions stray elsewhere.

You stuffed the rest of the bagel in your mouth while you headed up the stairs of the compound. Fresh off a lecture from Loki, including your precious freedom hanging in the balance, the last thing you wanted was another surprise. You’d be fitted with an ankle bracelet within the week, courtesy of Officer Barnes.

Gamora zipped up her suitcase, her hair cascading over her shoulder while she gave you a smirk when you walked in.

“What’s going on?” you asked, noticing the other suitcase up against the wall.

“A well-deserved vacation,” she replied, pulling it down from the bed and rolling it toward the one at the wall “A week of sunshine and away from you.”

“Funny. Where are you really going?” There was business to attend to. Thor had given you a job and he wasn’t one to not be involved. You had until the end of the week to clear out the jewelry and he’d be on vacation.

“What’s the matter? Afraid we won’t bail you out if you get caught? And let’s be real, it’s not if. It’s _when_.”

“I didn’t get caught last time,” you pointed out, hearing Thor’s footsteps behind you. “I won’t get caught this time either.”

“I’m counting on you not to,” Thor chimed in. “I want good news when I get back.”

He opened a drawer, his eyes searching for a pair of swim trunks.

“You won’t even be here when I finish it?” You asked incredulously.

“Gamora wanted to get away for a few days. She’s worked so hard, haven’t you sweetheart?” Thor asked, your gaze going to Gamora who nodded in earnest. “I figure we have this little vacation, you finish the job and we can celebrate when we get back home.”

Trying to swallow down your jealousy, you said nothing, simply getting up from the bed as you walked past them. She’d won this round, something you knew she’d been planning since she’d heard you and him days earlier.

“Fine,” you said quietly, ignoring her shit-eating grin that followed behind you.

You were down the steps when Thor followed behind, strong arms encircling you from behind, his hold on you so tight that you couldn’t move. You tried not to think of the warm climate they would be in, most likely within a few hours as you braced the cold to case the jewelry store.

“Is my Princess jealous?”

You froze at his question, looking straight ahead while he nuzzled his chin over the top of your head.

“You’ve never taken me on a vacation.” You weren’t sure why it mattered but right now, it did.

“Well, she’s been doing most of the work here, hasn’t she? The books, the deals, and bailing you out of jail. I’d say she’s earned it. You’re still very costly, you know. I know you like to win, don’t you, Princess? Then you finish the job, make Daddy happy and we’ll go on a trip. Just the two of us. How does that sound?” Thor asked, kissing your cheek.

“You said I paid you back,” you reminded him, your mood already soured by the news of their vacation. “Where do you want them when I bring them?”

“The safe. You didn’t answer my question.”

“I said I’d get it done,” you answered, hearing Gamora and the suitcase coming down the stairs. “I don’t need a vacation. I’m sure you’ll be tired once you return.”

“Ah, so she is jealous,” Thor purred against your ear, holding you closer as you squeaked in pain. “Your one Achille’s heel. Perhaps you should think about that next time you cause me to lose my money. You may have paid it back tenfold, but I missed out on an opportunity for you, Princess. Don’t let it happen again. I’ll call you while we’re gone. Redeem yourself.”

When he let you go, you didn’t look back as you flung open the door to your waiting motorcycle out front.

🚨

You’d cased the building twice. A better security system than the last place but still easy to bypass. The thick glass was shatterproof. A feature that was most likely put in place in case of walk by robbery, but you were never into making messes. A few visits inside while you pretended to look for a wedding band for your imaginary husband and you’d gotten the layout of the place down pat.

The fourth time you exited, you saw the familiar black Charger outside. Now wasn’t the time, no matter how much you’d enjoyed riling him up.

He flicked his sunglasses down as his eyes looked you up and down. You noticed the Henley, almost painted on by how it showcased his biceps.

“Staying out of trouble?” he asked in a tone that suggested he already knew the answer.

“Of course I am. Do you have nothing better to do than follow me everywhere? I’m sure you have other parolees you could be stalking,” you shot back, walking past his car.

It was still cold out and you pulled your leather motorcycle jacket closer to you. Gamora had made sure to send you a picture of her on the beach, Thor in the background. The thought of it made you grit your teeth.

“None of them give me as much trouble as you do. Consider yourself a priority,” he replied.

You sat on your bike as you lifted your helmet from the seat.

“Lucky me,” you muttered. “My lawyer tells me you’re ready to throw the book at me. Why don’t you just do it already?”

Barnes hung his arm out over the door, looking at your bike before he finally answered you.

“Consider its leniency. Your last inspection went well. That showed progress. Contrary to what you might believe, I don’t want to always throw people in prison.”

You scoffed loudly as you straddled your bike.

“Could have fooled me. Accusing me of stealing. What kind of girl do you take me for?” you asked with a slow shake of your head. “Guilty before proven innocent.”

“Bullshit,” Barnes answered, eliciting a snort of laughter from you at his swear. “I know you took the money. I just don’t have evidence yet. And judging by the fact you’re casing yet another jewelry store, I’m sure I’ll have proof soon enough.”

“You really want me to fuck up so badly, don’t you? Not gonna happen,” you denied as you put on your helmet. “I just like looking at jewelry. Can’t fault me for that.”

“Looking at jewelry with a five-finger discount. If I see you over here again, I’m going to assume you’re officially casing the place and I’ll have officers here so fast you won’t be able to blink.”

You resisted the urge to flip him off as you flicked down the visor and revved the engine. There needed to be a level of self-control.

But that didn’t stop you from making sure he saw both your middle fingers before you turned down the busy street.

🚨

“Very good, Princess,” Thor praised, your video trained on the safe that showcased almost triple the last amount of jewelry. “Great job.”

Gamora was behind him, sliding her sunglasses down her nose to look as Thor’s hand caressed her thigh. The beach seemed to stretch out for miles from what you could see and you switched the camera back to the view of your face.

“It’s all there,” you supplied. “Catalogued and ready to go. Is there anything else?”

“What are you in a rush for? Tell me about your day.” He leaned forward, giving you a flash of white teeth as he waited for your response. Gamora turned her back on you, sunbathing in a skimpy bikini.

“I just finished closing the safe,” you responded. “Going back home.”

“Home? I thought you’d be staying at the compound. I was expecting to see you there when we return.”

A playful slap on Gamora’s behind made you focus on the waves that were cresting behind him. It had been a close call. As promised, there had been officers waiting and you’d taken to the rooftops, having to break in from above and bypass the alarms.

“You’ve made me happy, Princess. We need to celebrate your accomplishment.”

“You already are,” you replied with a nod at Gamora. “She’s done most of the work, remember?”

The displeasure in his face at your tone was one you’d seen before but never directed at you.

“Don’t let your jealousy cloud your judgment in how you speak,” Thor warned. “I’ll expect you at the compound when we return. Stay out of trouble.”

Usually, you would be playful, teasing him with an answer. Instead, you simply nodded and disconnected the call.

With only a few days to go before you were saddled with a tracker, you needed to have some fun.

🚨

You knocked back another shot, the second bought by a shy guy at the end of the bar who waved nervously. The music was loud, taking you away from the memory of Thor’s face. You’d do the job and done it well. Perhaps a little space would make him understand that you were better than Gamora.

In fact, as another shot was placed in front of you, you decided maybe you wouldn’t go to the compound anyway. Let him see what he’d missed.

A familiar face caught your eye. The scrunch of the nose, the long brown hair hidden under the backward cap.

Officer Barnes.

It really was a small fucking world.

It didn’t matter. Your suitor at the end of the bar was enamored with you, giving you the eyes while you excused yourself from your seat and went to the bathroom. The last thing you wanted was another quickie in a bathroom stall. Those days had passed.

When you finished, you tossed the paper towel in the trash can with expert precision from far away enough that it gave you appreciative hollers from a too drunk table. The man who’d been supplying you with drinks was gone, his seat open as yours had been usurped.

It gave you a perfect view of Barnes and the dark-haired woman. With the alcohol flowing freely in your system, you were risking it by letting him see you. You weren’t drunk yet but well on your way. You could see in his body language that he was into this mystery woman and it made him seem human.

Breakable.

You remembered how he managed to push you out of the way with a simple tilt of his body, bigger than your own and you saw him at the table, hands moving as he spoke animatedly. If you hadn’t known any better, you thought he’d wanted to kiss you that day.

But this man in front of you, so casual and full of laughter was not one you were used to seeing. Two more shots were lined up in front of you as you downed one, wiping your mouth as you checked your phone. Ignoring Thor for the rest of the day had given you an advantage – he’d noticed and supplicated you with praise about how much money you’d netted him and how you were so talented and special.

You’d answer him before the night ended but for now, you felt powerful.

“Two Köstritzer Schwarzbiers,” a voice said next to you. When you turned your head, you were face to face with Barnes, who immediately straightened up once he recognized you.

“Are you supposed to be here?” he asked, his attention going back to the bartender.

“Even criminals get the day off,” you reminded him. “I’m not crashing your party, am I?”

You waved at the dark-haired pretty woman who had turned around in her seat. Barnes looked back and then glared at you.

“Don’t,” he warned. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to be getting drunk.”

You shrugged at his comment, gesturing to the shot in front of you.

“Not drunk yet. Public drunkenness is frowned upon and thanks to you, I don’t get my tracker until a few days. I can drink to my heart’s content.”

“That’s not how it works,” Barnes corrected you, his muscles flexing in your view as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Who’s your lady?” you asked, looking back over at her. “She’s pretty.”

“None of your business. I’m sure you’ve got a whole other life I don’t know about.”

“A girlfriend?” you guessed, ignoring him while you stared back at her. “Are you trying to get laid?”

You covered your mouth in mock surprise as the beer was placed in front of him. You had a feeling that you hit a nerve as he huffed, turning to grab the beer when your phone toppled to the floor.

It was a long way down in your short dress and you peered down at it as he looked at you.

“Can you please get my phone? Since you dropped it?”

He shook his head with irritation and lowered himself toward the phone as you shifted, slowly crossing one leg over the other in enough time for him to confirm that you weren’t wearing a stitch of underwear under that dress. You saw him pause for a moment, eyes fixated on the juncture of your thighs before he rose, troubled blue eyes making contact with yours before he slammed your phone down onto the table, the sound making a few of the patrons jump

“Jesus,” Barnes growled, grabbing the beer and moving away from you.

You looked over your shoulder as he went back to the table, eyes looking back at you before he drank half his beer while never breaking eye contact with you. After you smiled, catching the attention of the girl he was with, you downed the last of the shot and brushed the debris off your phone as you paid your tab, steadying yourself as you slipped off the chair.

You were halfway out the door when cold metal fingers gripped your upper arm, pulling you from the sidewalk and into the parking lot.

“You just don’t know when to fucking quit, do you?” Barnes hissed as he pulled you toward the car.

“What the hell are you doing? I didn’t break any rules, let me go.”

You knew your voice was slurred; your movements not as graceful as they had been.

“I’m taking you home.”

“Where’s your lady friend? Is she coming too?” You stifled a laugh because you already knew the answer. If you couldn’t have fun, neither could he.

That cheered you up a little before you pushed into the backseat of the car.

“Are you actually taking me home or am I going to end up on those late-night news segments?” you inquired.

“I want one goddamn day where you aren’t getting into trouble. I’m trying to prove that people can change and you keep proving me wrong. I know that the second jewelry store was you. How did you do it?” Barnes demanded.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I bet. You’re working for someone. I know that much. All I have to do is find out who and they’re going down too.”

“You’re a parole officer, not a cop,” you reminded him as the car came to a stop at the red light.

“I have more jurisdiction than you think. Keep playing games and the only prize you’re going to win is an extended stay in prison.”

“You threaten me so much with it that it’s lost all meaning,” you informed him as the car shot forward.

When it came to a stop, the door opened and you stepped out, pulling down your dress that had ridden up over your thighs. You were home, just a flight of stairs away as Barnes pointed to your apartment.

“I’ll make sure your tracker is put on by tomorrow.”

“You’re so kind,” you praised sarcastically. “Efficient and a killjoy.”

“Don’t fucking push me.”

“Or what?” you asked, your hands pushing him against his chest. It was like pushing a wall. He didn’t budge, just shook his head as he narrowed his eyes at you.

“Do it again and see what happens. My patience is already shot.”

You would do him one better. Your fingers curled into a fist for a moment before you pulled on his shirt, bringing him down as his lips met yours as you kissed him.

You just didn’t expect for him to kiss you back, his fingers on your chin before you pulled away and held your purse as you ran toward the stairs, realizing what you’d done. You were halfway up the stairs when you realized he wasn’t following you.

The door slammed behind you before you leaned against it, your fingers going to your lips. You felt warm all over and you weren’t entirely sure that you weren’t affected by it.

One thing was for certain – the man really knew how to kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

You heard the music before you approached the compound, the beat echoing inside your helmet as you parked your bike and sat, watching the lights move in tune with the beat from the open windows. Another party, another reason to celebrate now that Thor had returned. As the two bodyguards let you pass, Gamora stood at the bottom of the stairs when you finally reached her.

She lifted her chin at the sight of you, the diamond pendant sparkling under the lights as she smirked.

“You’re late,” she informed you. “He’s been waiting. What excuse do you have this time?”

“I had to make the last drop off, remember? You do the books and the schedule,” you reminded her, watching her eyes narrow at you.

When you went to take the first step, her arm blocked you, your glare settling on her amused face.

“You haven’t complimented my gift. It’s beautiful, right? Thor bought it for me while we were in Bali. Cost a small fortune but he said I was worth it.” Gamora’s eyes lifted to the top of the stairs. “I wouldn’t upset him further. He isn’t in the best mood.”

You pushed her arm away as you continued forward. Thor wasn’t ever one to hold a grudge and you didn’t expect him to have one now.

Once you reached the top, he was sitting on the couch, dressed in a pair of black pants and a half-buttoned white shirt that played up his tanned skin. Though he smiled at you, you didn’t take another step.

“I expected you here before I returned. Not after,” he warned. “I wanted my Princess to welcome me home.”

“I had one last drop off,” you protested, going silent as Thor shook his head. The look in his eyes told you that it wasn’t worth trying to argue.

“Does Gamora make the rules here?”

You sighed, crossing your arms in frustration. Not that it mattered. She’d always made sure they were enforced, whether you liked it or not.

“No.”

“Who does?” Thor asked you, his voice taking on a dark tone.

“You.”

“Then why didn’t you listen when I told you to come here first?”

Persistent as always. Truthfully, you had no good excuse. Not one that he would accept, at least. For now, you kept silent, the beat of the music still loud as Thor raised an eyebrow at your hesitation.

“I didn’t want to come,” you admitted. “But I’m here now.”

“Mm,” Thor hummed, a small smile beginning to play over his lips. “Come here.”

His arms were outstretched, an invitation for you to sit on his lap. He hadn’t responded to your honest answer, his expression giving nothing away while you approached him, straddling his lap as he kissed you softly.

“I was pleased with your work. You’ve even managed to stay out of trouble. I’ve asked so much of you these past few months. I know it hasn’t been easy, being thrown into jail and arguing with Gamora. The trip set you over the edge. I know that now,” Thor continued, pulling your shirt up and over your head as he threw it aside. “Jealousy I know from you all too well. I don’t want to correct your attitude again.”

You looked at him curiously. He hadn’t corrected you before, let alone a second time.

“I wonder if my Princess can be relied on to take on another job for me,” he mused, fingers unclasping your bra as he pulled it off of you. “Bigger this time. A better payoff.”

“Does it mean Gamora gets another necklace for my hard work?”

At your question, you were rewarded with a hard slap on your ass that made you gasp, his eyes narrowing at you as he held up your chin.

“Perhaps I wasn’t clear in my first statement. I’m still going to correct your attitude. Pants off, Princess.”

When you didn’t move, his hands went to your jeans, unbuttoning them as he pushed you to your feet and yanked them down. Your eyes looked back at the empty stairs, almost disappointed that Gamora wasn’t there to see.

Once they were off, you were pulled back onto his lap, facedown as he caressed your thighs up to the curve of your ass.

“How many for that little outburst the other day, hmm? Ten?” Thor asked you, your eyes wide at the amount.

“Ten? You took her on a vacation without me. Again. I could have gotten caught and you wouldn't have known.” You highly doubted that you would have been brought in, let alone seen. But the jealous streak inside you still present.

“But you didn’t. That’s why I’m starting with ten and not twenty," Thor pointed out before he patted your ass twice. "But another five for that Gamora comment. Fifteen. Count them.”

You sucked in a breath as the first one was handed down – literally. With a yelp, you shuddered at the pain, swallowing hard.

“One.”

The next four that followed hurt just as bad as the first, your gasps of pain hidden under the bass of the music.

As his hand made contact once more, you sucked in a breath before you gave him a smirk. Despite the fact you’d be sore tomorrow, you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing you break apart.

“Six,” you counted, watching his eyes darken in lust.

“Brat,” he huffed, two more coming in succession that made you grip his thighs, fingernails digging into his skin.

“Seven…eight…”

Your voice wavered only by a small octave as he lifted his hand higher. You braced for impact; your eyes squeezed shut as your body tensed.

“Nine!” you hissed, your thighs shaking.

Five more rained down upon you, every single one like fire that you swore would leave permanent marks. Your voice was barely a whisper, still no tears in your eyes as you counted every single one.

Thor paused for a moment, your eyes meeting his. The fact that you weren’t close to tears, his fingers lowered to the wetness that had grown between your thighs was enough to let him know that you were close to falling apart, beads of perspiration dotting your brow as you managed a sweet smile.

“Daddy, you have one more left,” you reminded him with a shaky breath.

“That I do, Princess," Thor growled in response, knowing you could feel him rock hard underneath you.

The final connection of his hand on your flesh made you shout, mouth slightly parted as you tried to lick your lips.

“F…fifteen.”

🚨

You gripped the arm of the couch, the force of Thor’s thrusts hard enough that you had to buffer yourself from your head hitting the couch. Your legs were wrapped around his waist, a melody of his hard breaths and grunts mingling over your breathy squeals and whimpers.

Anytime Thor attempted to pull out slowly, you lifted your hips to bring him back as your arms went around his neck and raked down his back.

“Wild as the wind, Princess,” he growled against your lips. “Always Daddy’s favorite.”

You heard Gamora’s heels before you turned to look in her direction, her arms crossed as she glared at you. You winked at her before you gripped your legs around Thor harder as he came in a raw shout as you followed suit, your forehead pressed up against his chest as you tried to breathe.

“Great,” Gamora snapped, under your loud breaths. “If you’re both finished, there’s a detective here to see you.”

Thor gave you a hard stare before Gamora rolled her eyes.

“Unfortunately, it’s not her. It’s you, Thor. He’s waiting downstairs and wants to break up the party. I could tell him to come up here if you’d like to get dressed,” Gamora continued, still watching you as you returned the same grin she gave you a week ago.

Thor kissed your forehead as he eased off of the couch, reaching for his pants and shirt, while you grabbed your clothes and headed toward the bathroom.

“You’re right, you are worth it,” you assured Gamora, passing by her on your way to the bathroom. “That’s why you’re sweetheart and I’m Princess. I guess I know my worth, too.”

You closed the door in her face, turning on the faucet while you examined your ass in the mirror. Nothing a little numbing gel couldn’t fix.

When you stepped into the shower, letting the water rain down on you, your thoughts went to Barnes and how he kissed you back. You still hadn’t been prepared for that, let alone that he hadn’t pushed you away. You’d felt powerful, noticing how he’d stared at you while you ran up the steps of your apartment.

While you scrubbed your body, you wondered if he was as clean-cut and a follower of the rules as he seemed to be. Not that it mattered, you decided. Parole officers were glorified babysitters as far as you were concerned, and you didn’t need any more eyes on you. Not when you had another job to do. Curiosity on what the next job entailed made you stand a little longer under the shower, the beat of the water massaging your sore muscles before you finally shut the water off and wrapped a towel around yourself. The music that had been playing loudly was now dialed down, two voices heard loudly as you dried off slowly, the sound audible as you stilled for a moment to listen.

“We’ve got a few people in custody from a botched drop-off. Your name’s come up quite a few times as a seller,” a deep voice said as you pressed your ear to the door to listen closer.

“Interesting. Up until today, I’d been out of the country, Detective Wilson,” Thor replied with a low laugh. “I fail to see how I could sell something if I’m not around to oversee the transaction.”

“So, not a clue about these buyers? Who all unanimously say that it’s you they’ve bought from? That’s just a coincidence, right?” Detective Wilson insisted.

“Detective, I assure you that if I was running such a business, it wouldn’t be as shoddy as you are painting it out to be. Maybe you’re running out of leads, hmm? Try to pin it on me. That would make your life much easier, I imagine.”

“I do my job and I do it well. Your little red-haired friend isn’t exactly innocent either. Pretty extensive list of her crimes from what I've seen.”

Thor let out a snort of laughter.

“You think Gamora hasn’t paid for her sins? She has. There’s nothing recent.”

“I’m sure we have Mr. Laufeyson to thank for that. And the other one? She’s on parole. I think that would make her a liability to you if she happened to mess up again.”

“Has she? I believe she’s been a model citizen as well” Thor countered, your head moving from the door as you pulled on your pants and shirt, smoothing it out to look presentable.

“Well, I’m sure I don’t want to interrupt your party any further. If you happen to jog your memory, here’s my card. We’ll be in touch.”

You waited for a moment as you heard Gamora’s heels fade into the background as the music was turned up louder. Once you opened the door, Thor stood at top of the stairs, jaw clenched tightly as his eyes were trained on what you were certain was the detective leaving the compound.

“Trouble?” you asked, standing at his side to see Gamora glaring up at you.

“Not yet. He doesn’t have anything. Sniffing around for any little morsel he can find. You break into safe, Princess, and we’ll go on the most indulgent trip you’ve ever had.”

He leaned down, brushing his lips against yours for a moment before you broke the kiss, looking at your phone at the various missed calls that were all from Barnes.

“Shit,” you hissed, stuffing your phone into your purse.

“Something wrong?”

“I’m late for my inspection,” you answered, pulling on your shoes as Thor looked on in amusement.

“Ah, the parole officer. I’m sure he’s nothing to worry about. Tomorrow we’ll discuss the details.”

He slapped you on the ass as you gritted your teeth.

“Be good. See you in the morning.”

You went down the stairs, intent on heading straight for your motorcycle when Gamora pushed you into the wall.

“What the hell are you doing?” you spat, her arms on either side of you.

“Do you know who that was?”

You shrugged at her question. You thought you’d seen him before but that could have been said for a number of people.

“No. How should I know?”

“Your parole officer? That’s his friend," Gamora informed you.

Your eyes got wide at her comment and you shook your head.

“I doubt it.”

“They’re friends. I’ve seen them around enough to know. Barnes probably sent him here. Do you realize what this could do? We could be ruined, all three of us in jail because of you. You just had to get caught, didn’t you?”

You pushed her hands away from you, your face inching toward hers.

“It’s all fun and games until your livelihood is threatened, right Gamora? I haven’t failed him yet and I won’t. Go project your insecurities on someone else, _sweetheart_.”

You reached out and touched her necklace with a smirk.

“You’re right. It is a nice necklace. It’s too bad it’s on you,” you finished, pushing away from her as you walked out of the building and toward your bike.

🚨

When you pulled up, you saw Barnes waiting by your door, hat slung low on his brow while you rolled your eyes at the sight of him.

“You’re late,” he informed you, tapping his watch. “Called at least three times to give you the courtesy of me coming over.”

You ignored him, crunching the key in the lock as he waited for you to open the door. You were well aware of his penchant for tight-fitting shirts, this time a black long sleeve shirt. Missing was his vest that he seemed to wear with pride.

“I’d invite you in but you’d come in anyway,” you said with a slight push of the door. “See? Clean.”

“Not so fast,” Barnes said with a slight smirk. “Your inspection isn’t for another week.”

“So I get a surprise visit. Lucky me.”

He held up a box in his hand. Your eyes narrowed at the sight of it.

“What is that?”

“Your ankle tracker,” Barnes responded, opening it as he held it in front of you.

“There’s no way I’m putting that on,” you shot back, tossing your purse on the table. “You said a few days. It’s been one.”

“One counts as a few. Let’s just say your little drunken stunt got me inspired to make sure you stay put.”

You batted your eyes at him while he looked around your apartment, the tracker still in hand.

“Seemed like you enjoyed it to me,” you purred, putting distance between you both while you opened the fridge and pulled out a beer.

“It monitors alcohol content as well.” He seemed almost pleased with that fact as you popped open the cap and took a long sip before you placed it on the counter.

“Maybe so,” you agreed with a slight nod. “But you’ll have to catch me to put it on me.”

You closed the fridge as he took a step closer, his eyes focused on you as you took another sip from the bottle.

“That could be arranged.”

“That wasn’t an invitation,” you clipped, trying to ignore the way his shoulders flexed under the shirt. “I’m not wearing that thing.”

“I’m not leaving until it’s put on.”

“Then I guess you should have brought over a sleeping bag,” you responded, pushing past him as he reached for your arm as you twisted around him.

Physically, you were no match for him but you would be a worthy opponent. Barnes gripped the tracker in his hand as he came toward you as you edged toward the other side of the couch.

“I’m not opposed to flipping over this couch,” he warned you.

You hesitated for a moment, looking down at the couch and then back at him.

“It’s a rental anyway. Do it,” you baited.

“Are you always this fucking stubborn?”

“When people are trying to slap trackers on me? Hell yes.”

Barnes moved toward you as you hopped over the couch and toward your room, intending to slam the door in his face and make him wait outside forever until he caught your arm the moment you opened the door. When you tried to kick him, he caught your ankle, all but flipping you onto the bed as you tried to claw at the sheets as he pinned you down, immune to your blows on his chest as he fastened it onto your ankle.

“You’re a fucking bastard, you know that?” you huffed angrily, looking down at it as he looked back at his handiwork.

“An _efficient_ fucking bastard. It stays on, you hear me?”

Frustrated that he’d gotten it on quicker than you expected, you realized it would go off if you went to the compound and you reached out your hand to slap him when he grabbed your wrist.

He was strong. You’d known that. He looked down at you in triumph as you tried to slap him with your free hand before he grabbed it.

Barnes pinned your hands above your head as he leaned down, mouth covering yours as he kissed you hard, his chest pressed against yours as you panted into his mouth, his tongue slipping inside your own as you kissed him back, the little whine in the back of your throat making him press harder into you.

“Fuck,” Barnes growled against you. “So goddamn stubborn.”

All thoughts of wanting to knee him where it would be most effective went out the window when you kissed him back, pulling his lower lip between yours. It ended as quickly as it began, Barnes getting up as his chest rose and fell quickly. You hadn't wanted him to stop but you were glad he did, knowing you were already wet at the weight of him on top of you. 

“Might be a good idea to stay away from Thor if you want any chance of freedom,” Barnes instructed, your eyes fluttering open as you scrambled to your feet.

Before you had a chance to answer, he was already down the hallway, the door slamming behind him.

You opened the door to see him getting to his car, looking back at you as he shook his head.

“Fuck you!” you shouted, making sure to slam the door even harder.

The small noise that tapped from your downstairs neighbor made you stomp back in frustration as you looked down at the floor.

“And fuck you too, Mr. Rogers!”


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello?" you whispered into the phone, draping your arm over your arms to block out the light.

"Princess, you were supposed to be here over an hour ago. Where are you?" Thor demanded.

You bolted upright, throwing off the covers to look at the tracker that was still on your ankle. You swore under your breath, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"I forgot to set my alarm," you lied, hopping out of bed as you headed toward the kitchen.

"After our little discussion yesterday, I thought you'd learned your lesson. Perhaps Gamora should go in your place."

You huffed loudly into the phone, pulling out a drawer and selecting a butter knife as you eased it down between the small space between your ankle and the tracker.

"Do you think she'll do it better than me?" you asked, inching the knife down slowly as you wiggled it back and forth. "She isn't efficient like I am."

"You're stalling," Thor accused, the sound of his fingers tapping on the desk. "Where are you?"

"Home but- "

"Stay put. I'm on my way."

He hung up before you had a chance to argue, plopping yourself down in the middle of the kitchen to try to pop off the tracker as you scraped against your skin.

"Damn you, Barnes," you muttered, removing the knife and tossing it into the sink.

Pacing around the house did nothing but make you more upset, your mind coming up with different scenarios of hitting it with a hammer - which would ultimately something, most likely your ankle - or trying to unscrew it with a screwdriver, which after looking through several drawers, you realized you didn't have one.

It didn't matter. You'd have to explain how you were on house arrest and you weren't sure you wanted to know how Thor would react to it. You weren't about to let Gamora take your glory. The thought of her going on yet another vacation as you sat at home made you grit your teeth as you inspected the tracker in disgust. You were running out of options. Thor seeing the tracker would mean that you hadn't fully gotten away, even with Loki fighting your charges. You couldn't disappoint him further, not when you were so close to winning.

You only had one card left to play.

🚨

The moment you opened the door, you took one look at Thor and burst into tears, throwing yourself into his arms as he cradled you against his chest.

"What's wrong?" His voice was like velvet, soothing you as you sniffled dramatically, hearing the door close behind you. The angry expression had left his face, now replaced with concern as his large hands caressed the sides of your face.

"Tell me what's wrong, Princess? You weren't this upset over the phone," Thor began, wiping your tears away.

"He-he put a tr-tracker on me," you sobbed, pointing down at your ankle.

Thor's eyes darkened at the sight of it.

"Who?"

"My parole officer," you wailed, Thor placing you on the couch as he inspected it carefully. "I didn't know he was going to do it."

"He put it on?" Thor asked you, his voice low. "He touched you?"

You nodded with a loud sniffle, snuggling against him as he caressed your bare thighs. Thor's jaw ticked for a moment, pulling out his phone as he dialed a number and waited until you heard you heard an answer.

"Loki. You told me you handled that parole officer," Thor roared into the phone. "No, it wasn't. She's got a goddamned tracker on her ankle. I don't know. I don't care how it happened but I want the name of this parole officer. This is has gone past you handling it. The name, Loki."

You kept your head down, fighting back a joyful smile as you bit down on your lips.

"James Buchanan Barnes," Thor recited. "Good."

When he hung up, he lifted up your chin and you blinked away fresh tears.

"You should have told me," Thor admonished you gently, kissing your nose. "You were looking forward to helping me, weren't you?"

"Yes, Daddy," you agreed with a serious nod. "And I would have been able to help if it wasn't for... for... him."

As you broke into tears, Thor gathered you in his arms, his muscles flexing as he whispered against your ear.

"Don't you worry, Princess. I'll take care of him."

"I know," you whispered, smiling to yourself. "You always take care of me."

"I suppose the store can wait for a few days."

You flexed your calf as you nodded slowly once you pulled away.

"I'll still keep trying to get it off in the meantime," you promised. "I won't let you down."

"There's my girl," Thor praised, leaning in to kiss you until you were breathless. He eased himself from you and looked at his watch.

"I need to meet Loki. Let me know if you have any luck with the tracker before I do."

"Of course," you acknowledged, watching him leave. At the close of the door, you rolled your shoulders back and wiped your eyes.

You had a plan.

🚨

Your fingers curled before you rapped on the door, taking a step back so as to not scare him. The man below you with the too-big sweaters that hung off his small frame had a habit of shaking his head at you whenever you crossed his path. When the door finally opened, you smiled at him as he peered up at you with a frown.

“Can I help you?”

Though you’d expected no pleasantries, you tried to hide your smirk as his eyes went to the low v-neck shirt you wore before he swallowed hard, his gaze lifting back to your face.

“I know we haven't been properly introduced,” you began, giving him your best smile as you lifted your foot. “But any chance you’d have a tool to get this off? I’m a little desperate.”

Once his sight went to the tracker, his blue eyes widened and he shook his head. You already knew he was a goody-two-shoes but he was your last shot before you took a deeper measure to remove it.

“Are you serious? We’ll both go to jail,” he stammered, holding the door tightly.

“I’ve already been. It’s not that bad,” you informed him, ignoring his shocked face. "Steve, right?"

You leaned forward, looking past him and into his apartment. He seemed to like the past, especially old-time baseball teams and black and white pictures.

With a drawn-out sigh, you pouted for a moment, reaching out to straighten his tie as he froze, his cheeks turning bright pink. Once it was adjusted, you pulled on the material, examining his blush as your mouth hovered close to his.

“Hmm. It was worth a shot. Cute little guys like you never do well in jail anyway. See you later, neighbor,” you responded in a farewell, turning to head back upstairs when you heard him clear his throat.

“Wait,” Steve called out.

With a grin, you looked over your shoulder and batted your eyelashes.

"Yes?"

”What’s it for? The tracker, I mean.”

Lifting your foot up daintily, you let out a sad sigh.

”I drink too much. Got into a little bit of trouble. I’m not looking to drive, I promise. It’s too tight and it hurts. I wouldn’t mind wearing it if it was a little looser,” you whimpered, giving him a small pout.

”Can you call someone to adjust it? It looks pretty high tech,” Steve pointed out.

”I would but my... sponsor won’t listen. Please, Steve? I’ll do anything you want. Aren’t neighbors supposed to look out for each other?”

Steve paused for a moment.

"I didn't know you were an alcoholic."

"Oh, yeah," you agreed quickly, watching him open the door a little wider. "It was a problem but I promise, I'm getting the help I need. I just want to loosen it up a little. Would you happen to have a screwdriver?"

Steve let out a long sigh and you knew you had won.

"Come on in," he offered, opening the door wider.

You stepped inside, looking around his tidy apartment. Not a single thing was out of place. Steve rummaged through a drawer until he found a screwdriver, handing it to you as he looked at you with distrust.

"I could get in trouble for helping you if you take it off," he said nervously, not letting it go as you wrapped your fingers over the handle.

"You have really nice eyes, Steve," you complimented, watching the heat bloom up to his cheeks. "And I would never, ever, get you into trouble. You're helping me out so much. I hope you know how I appreciate it. Can I sit next to you? You can watch me do it."

Steve didn't answer, instead motioning to the seat next to him while you sat, fumbling with the screwdriver to make sure you didn't mess with the alarm. With every movement of your hand, you caught him trying to look everywhere else but at your cleavage. You managed to pop off the front, slipping the cover into the pockets of your shorts. As you found the small screw, you steadied yourself by placing a hand on his thigh and he jumped.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry," you apologized, your fingers slowly curling against his inner thigh. "Clumsy me."

You were aware of the effect it had on him, the way his pants seemed to get tighter. Your tongue hung out the side of your mouth as you popped open the small motherboard, still leaving it intact on your ankle to not to catch Steve off guard.

"Mmm, so much better," you sighed in pleasure, dropping the screwdriver to the ground. "Thank you, Steve. I feel so much better. It was squeezing so hard."

You squeezed his thigh to show him how it felt, his eyes on you wide as he gulped.

"Is there any way I can replay you?" you asked, your eyes flickering down to the heavy strain in his pants. "Maybe help you relieve some stress?"

Before he had a chance to answer, your hand traveled to the button of his pants, undoing the button and unzipping his zipper, Steve's hands on either side of him.

"Unless of course, you don't want me to show you how much I appreciate you. But," you continued, your fingers slipping under the band of his boxers, snaking down slightly until you reached his cock. It was big and your eyes widened at that fact, your fingers cradling him gently. Steve sucked in a breath, his eyes closing.

"You... you don't have to," Steve panted, your fingers holding him tight as you pumped his length up and down slowly, your thumb swiping over the head of his cock that was beaded with precome.

"Of course I don't have to, Steve," you reminded him, your hand removed from him as you tugged down on the waistband of his boxers, his cock springing free. Thick and veiny, with a mushroom cap that you couldn't wait to pop out of your lips.

"Uh, are you sure?" Steve asked, his eyes barely opening.

"Positive."

Steve let out an exhale as you licked the head of his cock to get a reaction out of him before you lowered your head to take him into your mouth slowly. Once he was nice and wet in your mouth, you heard him hiss as you sucked down his length, your tongue and lips working in tandem as you watched him grip the cushions.

"Oh, God," Steve panted.

As your lips massaged his cock with various amounts of pressure, you heard the low moan as you continued on, pulling him out of your mouth with a noisy and wet pop, your fingers still moving up and down around him as his hips lifted from the couch. You had half a mind to let him make a mess on his pants, a punishment for how often he banged with that stupid broom. Still, as you lowered your head once more to swallow him down, you reasoned that he probably never got laid and you were doing him a solid. Not to mention, you actually liked the way he responded to you.

"Gonna...so close," Steve whined, as your free hand went to massage his balls while you went slower, lips wet against him applying more pressure as you felt the familiar tightening against your tongue as he came, hot and heavy into your mouth as you swallowed it down, wiping your mouth as his chest rose and fell so rapidly that you weren't sure he was going to be able to breathe correctly.

"Steve?"

"Uh huh," he responded weakly, his body slumping over as you got your feet.

"Thanks for the help," you said with a grin, kissing him on the cheek before you left his apartment.

As you headed up the steps, you saw Gamora, sitting in her car as she eyed you cautiously. You raised an eyebrow at her presence and she scoffed.

"Weren't you supposed to be busy today? I didn't think hanging out with your dweeb of a neighbor counted as work," Gamora sniffed, her eyes going to the tracker on your ankle. "What is that?"

"It was an ankle tracker. All fixed now. Guess you won't be spending too much time with Thor when I'm done with the job. Maybe I'll go to Fiji. Jamaica sounds nice too this time of year," you thought, tapping your cheek as you went up the stairs. "Decisions, decisions."

"You keep it up," Gamora called out. "You'll get caught eventually. You already had the tracker. Next stop is prison and you know Thor won't go for that. He likes his women free."

"Is that so? Then how are you still around with that stick up your ass?" you asked her before you slammed the door behind you, kicking off the ankle tracker.

You had work to do.

🚨

Bucky watched Jasper Sitwell peek out from his window as Bucky waved. By all counts, Sitwell was behaving. Which was more than he could say about you. There had been no additional activity on your tracker and for a little while, Bucky believed that maybe he'd gotten you to go calm down. He'd had to reschedule his date with Wanda, which would now make the third time he'd had to cancel. It was probably a bad idea to get back with an ex-girlfriend, he told himself. But she understood his line of work and it felt good to have someone to come home to. She was working on her Masters and didn't have enough time as it was, let alone deal with his baggage he took home from work.

Now, he could rest for the moment, checking once more to see if you had left the house. He frowned at the lack of activity. Not a single movement for hours, which had been unlike you from the moment he'd placed it on you. He started the car when a woman tapped on the other side of his window. Rolling down the window, she leaned over, a smirk upon her face. He remembered her as the one who picked you up from jail.

"Barnes, right?" Gamora asked, looking at his badge.

"I know you," Bucky said, raising his eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"If you're looking for her to make a move, don't bother looking at that app. She broke it. Word on the street is that she's heading for that jewelry store a few blocks away. If not now, then in a few hours."

Bucky reached for his radio and he paused.

"Aren't you supposed to be her friend?"

Gamora let out a laugh.

"Hardly. She has something I want. Take my tip or don't, Barnes."

She disappeared then, heading back to her car as Bucky began to make his calls.

"Possible 459 in progress."

If he was a lucky man, he'd catch her right in the act.


	7. Chapter 7

You’d run over the tracker twice. Once forward and once backward as you straddled your bike before you finally took off. The sun had set and it was the perfect time to case the place and see what you were up against. After Gamora’s little comment, you wanted to prove it to yourself that you could do it.

From a distance, you saw the last car pull away from the lot and you waited, going past the store and then around the block until you parked your bike in the alleyway and sprinted toward the exit when a set of headlights flashed, making you squint.

“Well, look what we have here,” Barnes greeted you, the lights still on and blinding you.

“A spotlight just for me? You shouldn’t have,” you replied, one of the lights temporarily blocked by his body.

“Thought I might find you snooping around here. What’s your excuse this time?”

“I don’t have excuses. I have reasons,” you sniffed, continuing to walk toward your bike.

“Did I say you could leave?”

You shielded your eyes from the harsh lights with your hand as you smiled sweetly.

“All dressed up for me? Do you think I’m going to shoot you?”

The bulletproof vest he wore only made him look bigger, his broad chest covered by the material.

“More like I don’t trust you.”

“That’s smart,” you agreed. “I wouldn’t.”

He held out his handcuffs as he started to approach you.

“We can do this my way or your way. On your knees.”

“You seem a little big for me,” you responded, watching his eyebrows knit into frustration as he huffed, taking your arm.

“Remember what I said about fucking with me? You can explain why I keep finding you in places you don’t need to be to that slimy lawyer of yours when you’re sitting in a jail cell,” Barnes growled at you, pulling you toward the car. “I’ll have to thank your little buddy Gamora for the tip. Cops will be here soon. We’ll wait and I’ll hand you over to them.”

“Take your hands off of her.”

At the sound of the voice, you smiled up at Barnes. You’d deal with Gamora later once you got out of this mess. For now, you were elated to know he was watching.

“Ouch!” you whined, trying to get out of his grip as you looked back at Thor with a pained expression.

You had no idea how he had found you but it didn’t matter. You saw the hammer in his hand and Barnes’ attention went from Thor back to you.

“So that’s your protector,” Barnes muttered before he lifted his head back in Thor’s direction. “Nice try, Odinson. She’s broken the terms of her parole twice now. The ankle tracker is strike number three and with her little casing of his jewelry store, that makes number four and I’m tired of counting.”

“I said,” Thor commanded, storming toward you both as the hammer was gripped in his hand. “Let her go. Unless you’d rather have two metal arms.”

You gulped at Barnes telling your secret. You and Loki had come to an understanding that you would be good. He wouldn’t have to tell Thor you broke your parole and you didn’t have to deal with Loki’s forced visits to remind you to stay in line.

“You lift that thing and I’ll shoot it right out of your hand before you can wield it,” Barnes shot back, still herding you to the car, his grip on your arm tight.

“Fine, Barnes. Then we’ll do this my way.”

You were shoved out of the way as Thor flipped his hammer in the air, swinging it wide as Barnes narrowly moved out of the way.

“You wanna do this then?” Barnes shouted, pulling up his sleeves.

“I don’t want you touching what’s mine.”

You backed away, watching them circle each other as your eyes went back up toward the store. You could get away, hop on your bike and hide out somewhere. But the idea of breaking in while they fought was much more tempting. You’d seen Thor fight and you figured he would win.

He’d clean up the mess later.

You were distracted by the sound of the hammer connecting with Barns’ middle, the hard grunt that made him stumble before his metal fist made contact with Thor’s chest. Blows were exchanged rapidly, your eyes flickering back up to the small metal ladder on the roof.

Currently, there was no winner. Droplets of blood hit the concrete, Thor shouting in anger as Barnes’ metal fist was held down by Thor before he swung with the other, connecting with Thor’s jaw.

“You’ll pay for that,” Thor warned, his knee ramming up into Barnes’ midsection.

You made it onto the roof, popping open the small door as you slipped inside. You had to work fast. The alarm was an easy guess, your fingers punching in the buttons rapidly as you waited for it to disarm, moving through the glass cases with your tool as you made small circles in the glass and suctioned the piece out before you helped yourself to the jewelry.

At the sound of faint sirens, you swore under your breath as you exited, checking your steps to make sure you left nothing unturned before you scrambled back up the emergency ladder and back onto the roof.

You caught the final act of the hammer being caught in Barns’ hand, yanking it away as it clattered loudly to the ground before his fist connected with Thor’s face. Thor stumbled back, spitting out a tooth as Barnes’ spit out a mouthful of blood. You crouched down to not be seen, watching them as you looked for another exit.

“Enough!” he shouted. “Where the fuck did she go?”

“Probably halfway across the city,” Thor announced. “This isn’t over Barnes.”

“It is for her.”

Thor grabbed his hammer and pointed it at Barnes.

“You touch her again and I go for the head,” Thor promised, limping slightly as he went back to his car. The engine revved and he peeled out of the parking lot as the sirens got louder.

You clutched the bag to your chest once your feet touched the concrete on the other side of the store, looking over at Barnes as he struggled to walk. You felt a sense of guilt and you paused for a moment. If you stayed to help him, he would arrest you.

As he straightened up, you watched him make it to his car, and then you took off down the alleyway, waiting until the sound of sirens got louder until you started your bike and took off.

Your haul wasn’t as big as it could have been but you had chosen your baubles wisely.

Thor would be proud.

🚨

The moment you saw her, you pushed the bag into the guard’s hands, cracking your knuckles as she smirked at you.

“You sold me out, you vicious bitch!” you shouted, your fingers curling into a fist as you punched her in the nose.

Gamora was stunned, her head shaking back and forth as she stumbled backward. The guards rushed forward and you put out your hand.

“Don’t! She deserves it,” you spat, watching blood pour from her nose.

“You’re ridiculous!” Gamora shouted back, shoving you violently into the wall as your back and head hit hard against it.

“I’m ridiculous! You want him so bad that you’d rather see me rot in jail? We’re supposed to be a family!”

“You aren’t part of this family! Thor brought you here because of pity! If he can’t say it then I will. You’re a charity case. Look at you, you didn’t even come home to check on him. You finished trying to prove your worth first. That’s where your priority is. Not to Thor.”

“Thor?” you asked, watching him look down on you from the loft. “Tell her that’s not true.”

He had sustained a black eye, a deep cut on his cheek, multiple gashes and bruises that were beginning to turn purple as blood stained his shirt.

“I thought you would come home to me, Princess. I told you to tell me when you got the tracker off. You didn’t. The store could have waited.”

You pointed to the bag in the guard’s hands and you shook your head.

“But I got it,” you protested, watching Thor shake his head slowly.

“Not all of it,” Gamora snipped. “Less than half. Might as well have not done it all.”

“That’s enough,” Thor commanded, coming down the stairs slowly as he winced at the pain.

When he reached the bottom step, you pushed past Gamora and he held up his hand.

“I didn’t want it to come to this,” he said quietly, holding the sides of your face in his hands. “You’ve always been my wild girl. But you told me you were staying out of trouble. You lied to me and worse, Loki was in on it, too. I don’t like punishing you. God, I hate it.”

“Please,” you begged, your eyes welling with tears.

“I thought that you’d come home tonight. The jewelry could have waited. I was waiting for you.”

“But-”

“I want to see a month of good behavior, no random broken violations, no arguing with that bastard of a parole officer. I can’t have my business in jeopardy because of you. You know that detective came around once. I don’t need him putting two and two together. I need to lay low for a while.”

You shook your head as he gripped your cheeks. You knew what that meant.

“Please don’t go,” you whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re going to stay in your apartment. Loki,” Thor tried to continue as you glared at Gamora. “Focus. Loki is going to check on you, make sure you’re staying out of trouble. We’re already handling the fallout of the burglary. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re taking her with you,” you whimpered.

“Yes,” Thor agreed, watching you push away from him.

You wiped away your tears, everyone watching you as you nodded slowly.

“I get left again,” you said numbly, your fingers still aching from the punch.

“I will deal with Gamora and her mouth,” Thor warned, his gaze cold on Gamora as your fingers went to your diamond necklace. “Princess, you have to learn to listen.”

“You got hurt because of her selling me out,” you informed him, pointing at her as your lower lip trembled.

“He got hurt because you wouldn’t leave well enough alone. You could have left when you saw Barnes but you didn’t,” Gamora shot back, her mouth closing as Thor shot her a hard glare.

“A month. I don’t want the wildness to leave you, I just want you to be smart.”

“You mean like Gamora,” you answered.

You fiddled with the clasp on your necklace, pulling it off as you shoved it into Gamora’s hand.

“It’ll look good on you,” you clipped. “Enjoy your vacation.”

Thor’s eyes narrowed at you, his head shaking as you turned your back on him.

“Princess,” Thor warned as you pushed past the guards. “Stop.”

You ran toward your bike, shoving the helmet down back over your head before you started your bike and took off down the street.

🚨

“Bucky, wake up,” Wanda whispered against him.

He groaned in pain as he opened his good eye, his phone vibrating in her hand with a call from an unknown number.

“It’s been going off for the last two minutes. Might be an emergency?” Wanda yawned, placing his phone on his chest. “Answer it but get some sleep. You need it.”

He swiped to answer and he barked into the phone, irritated being woken up amid the pain that had spiked back into his body.

“Whenever you’re ready,” you said quietly, sitting on the couch in the dark. “You can put my tracker back on.”

“What’s the point? You seem to get out of everything,” Barnes shot back. “Pointless. Don’t call me again.”

He paused for a moment as you sniffled.

“F-fine. I just… wanted you to know that I won’t fight it.”

You hung up, tossing the phone on the coffee table. There were missed calls from Thor, messages that had gone unanswered as you curled back into a ball. No snippy texts from Gamora either and you were grateful for that.

A lot could change in a month. You could stay out of trouble. The tracker would make sure of that. Loki wouldn’t even have to visit that much.

But for now, you’d wait until Barnes’ decided that you were worth the trouble of coming back over to put a new tracker on.

You were about to fall asleep when your phone vibrated and you answered it cautiously.

“Hello?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. Three. You try and fight me and I’ll just arrest you,” Barnes said with a yawn.

“Three is fine,” you answered. “Thank you.”

“Good.”

He hung up, leaving you thinking of how you would fill your next thirty days staying out of trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

"Not a peep out of you today," Loki mused, looking around your apartment as you sat quietly. "To what do I owe this occasion?"

You shrugged, unsure of what to say. You'd done what Thor had asked. You'd stayed in your apartment, avoided any trouble as he directed. You largely ignored Loki as he stalked around your space, his bespoke suit perfectly tailored to his lanky height as he opened the fridge with a raised eyebrow.

"Not a drop of alcohol either? What _did_ Thor do to you?"

You continued to focus on the TV that was playing in the background, still on mute as he closed it, inspecting the cabinets. He had already made it clear that he wasn't going to save you if there was a next time, which indicated that Thor had also instructed him to make sure you were going to pass your next parole visit.

"I suppose it was time for him to take another vacation. Though I do tire of Gamora and her demands," Loki relented with a satisfied nod. "It appears you will pass your inspection, from what I can see. Your space is nice and clean. I'm sure Thor will be pleased with that. We've only barely made it past the judge. As it stands, one more violation and you're off to prison. I thought I had a chip on my shoulder but it appears your parole officer carries a small mountain on those broad shoulders. I'm sure having Thor almost rearrange his face did not help your cause."

"Are you finished?" you finally asked, unsure of why he was dragging out his visit. He hated coming over, a far drive from his penthouse apartment near the sea.

"I am. But I must ask a favor of you, little jailbird."

He picked up the remote and turned it off. Giving him your full attention, you crossed your arms over your chest and waited for his pitch.

"Your little jewelry store bust. We both know my brother gives you these tasks because you're efficient. He's going to want to aim higher when he returns. Might I remind you of your precarious position. Normally I wouldn't care what happens but I'd rather not have the long argument of why I need to bail you out once more if you get caught. Stay behind the scenes if he requests your presence again. His job is to make money and my job is to protect his assets. Your little quarrels with Gamora, while most insignificant, are posing a larger problem than you realize. Let her win this war."

"She already has," you informed him blandly. "I'm not the one on vacation."

"While that may be true, I despise tattletales. I have it on good authority that she's been making some moves behind his back. Overstepping her boundaries even where I'm concerned. You've always known your place so I have no issue with you. Hence, my warning to you. Let her make her moves. It appears we both want to see her fall. Better her than you."

With a respectful nod, Loki flashed a smile in your direction. If what Loki said was true, you had leverage over her after all. It was vague enough that you would not be able to use it against her, not yet at least, as was Loki's way of keeping control. Giving small pebbles of information that upon inspection would appear to go nowhere, despite Loki puppeteering behind the scenes the entire time.

"I do hope you consider my cautionary advice. It's nice to know you can listen to Thor after all," Loki concluded, giving you a wink before he left the apartment.

🚨

Thor smiled at you as you blinked slowly, taking in the white sand beach behind him. You knew you were on thin ice if you didn't answer the call, holding your phone up to inspect his tropical locale. You'd always wanted to set foot on a beach like that, your jealousy rising to the surface as you did your best to not let it show.

"I've heard nothing but good things, Princess. I'm so proud of you," Thor praised, his face tanned from the sun.

You nodded, trying to ignore Gamora in the background. You remembered Loki's words and you nibbled on your lips to keep from saying something accusatory, though the need was rising.

"How is my good girl?"

"Fine," you answered quietly, your eyes downcast as you tried to imagine the tracker on your ankle that would be supplied within the hour.

"Loki has told me you've been on your best behavior. Staying in your apartment and not getting yourself into trouble."

You were silent, watching Gamora behind him as she stretched out her legs on the balcony.

Another vacation. Another reward for her backstabbing.

"You told me to listen," you reminded him glumly.

"He said you've been uncharacteristically quiet. Perhaps I've punished you too harshly."

You didn't answer his observation. You'd always been the one that was punished.

"Where would you like to go after I return, hmm? Fiji? Tahiti?"

You shook your head slowly. His face had healed, only a slight scar near his jaw that only seemed to amplify his handsome face. You didn't want a reward for being punished, even if the thought of leaving Gamora behind was appealing.

"I'm fine here," you responded quietly. "Like you asked me to be."

"You don't sound like yourself. Still upset at my direction, I suppose. It wasn't mean to hurt you, Princess. But I had to be firm. Nothing else was going to work."

"I-I understand," you whispered. "I'm doing what you asked."

"Good. I miss you so much."

As Gamora shifted in her lounge chair, you noticed that she was not wearing her pendant. At that, you wondered why, as that was her sole pride and joy, making sure she showed off her gift to the world. From what you could see, she didn't exactly look happy and the thought cheered you up considerably.

"I have to go," you announced, looking at your watch. "My inspection is going to start soon."

"Alright, Princess. I'll see you when I return. I'll come to you."

🚨

At the hard knock against the door, you opened it, finding Barnes standing in front of you. His black eye was still shiny, the bruises beginning to heal. With the injuries, he looked more dangerous than usual, even as his shoulders seemed to fill out the doorway.

"Come in," you welcomed, opening the door wider as he passed you.

You noticed his gaze, sweeping from top to bottom as you spied the tracker in his hands. You remembered how much you'd fought him and how he had subdued you. If you had any fight left, it was gone the moment you saw his face.

"You've been quiet these days," Barnes stated with a raised eyebrow. "Can't tell if that's a good or bad thing. Your lawyer seems to believe you're trying to be better. We'll see if he's bluffing."

You lowered yourself to the couch, trying to ignore his comments. It was as if he found an even tighter shirt to wear, the grey long sleeves shirt and the fingerless gloves catching your attention. You were aware of the way his muscles seemed to roll under his skin as he knelt down near you. His eyes burned into yours as he narrowed his gaze.

"This is a trick, isn't it? You and Odinson working together is a surprise. He usually has his one girl that he picks. Didn't know he had two. Guess you made the cut. What I didn't understand is why you're letting me put this back on if you're just going to go wild once I leave. Unless you realize this is your last shot."

You pushed out your ankle toward him, saying nothing as he circled the tracker around your foot. When it snapped into place, he tugged on it for good measure, his large hands around your calf and ankle.

"Good. Shouldn't be as easy to remove this time. You tamper with it and you're done. No more third or fourth chances, you got that?"

When you didn't answer, his face lifted to yours and you looked over at the window, fighting back tears as you nodded quickly. You wiped your tears away quickly, his thumb brushing over the top of your foot gently.

"Hey," he called out softly. "What's the matter? I thought you'd be kicking me by now."

You turned your head back to him, eyes still welling with tears.

"It's on now, right? So you can go finish inspecting my apartment?"

At your words, he let go of your ankle, getting up from his position on the couch. You wiggled your foot side to side, resigned to your fate as you exhaled. The worst was over, you decided, hearing his heavy footsteps as you stood, curious to see what he was doing.

You saw him searching through your bathroom, his gaze on you via the mirror as he turned around.

"He must have done a number on you," Barnes wondered as you glared at him. "Not a single appearance outside of your place, spotless apartment and now the tracker."

"I thought you said I'm tricking you."

"As I recall, you told me it's smart not to trust you. Just following your lead."

"Can't trust you either. Seeing as you follow me everywhere I go," you pointed out.

"That's my damn job," Barnes snipped. "Wouldn't have to waste my time if you would listen."

You were tired of people telling you to listen. You pushed him squarely in the chest, your fingers pressing against his vest. He was not prepared for the force of your shove, his boots lightly squeaking against the tile.

"Don't tell me to listen," you huffed, your lip trembling. "I'm tired of it!"

All you saw were clear blue eyes before you felt his hands wrapping around your wrists, twisting you sideways until your back was pressed against the counter.

"I'm not the one you should be pissed with," Barnes snapped. "He made an example out of you, not me."

You struggled to get out of his grasp, your chest bumping against his own.

"Let me go! You're just like him, you just want to control me."

"Do I?"

He lowered his head, lips mashing against your own in a fight for dominance. As soon as he let your hands go, you threaded them into his hair, pulling his head down to meld your tongues together.

"You taste so fucking sweet," Barnes murmured against your mouth before he swept his tongue back inside. His hands gripped your hips, pulling you against him as you ground against his growing erection.

At the small whimper in your throat, he pulled away, his breath in shreds as he shook his head at you.

"You're gonna ruin me," he panted. "I can't."

You slumped back against the mirror, your lips still tingling at the pressure. When you licked your lip, he raised an eyebrow as he sucked in a breath.

"The tracker is on. I've done my job. Make sure you do the same."

You saw him turn, his shoulders shifting as he adjusted himself before he left, the door slamming behind him.

You inhaled deeply, leaning back up as you slid off the counter with a smile.

It would be fun to ruin him. You just needed to try harder.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor comes for a visit. The ankle tracker provides an opportunity.

You were not prepared to see Thor in your living room when you rounded the corner, your eyes wide as he tilted his head at the sound of your footsteps.

“Ah, Princess,” Thor greeted, getting to his feet as he reached out and pulled you into his arms. “Thought I would let you sleep. You looked so peaceful.”

He hugged you tight, his lips brushing against your forehead as you waited for any sign of Gamora to materialize.

“I had trouble sleeping last night,” you admitted, though the reason was not for your usual insomnia, but for a certain parole officer whose kiss you could not get out of your thoughts.

“I should have come last night like I had thought,” Thor sighed, pulling you back gently as he caressed your face. “I missed you.”

Your eyes burned as you looked up at Thor.

“Then why did you leave me?”

He gripped your chin, eyes narrowing at your comment.

“You are my wild girl. Full of life and adventure that I can find nowhere else. But you have been reckless. You know that,” Thor admonished, shaking your head up and down as you fought back the instinct to argue. “I remind you that I warned you about not ruining my opportunities. This was your second time. If you have anyone to be upset with, it is yourself.”

Your eyes lowered to the floor as he sighed.

“My hands were tied. But look at how good you’ve been. In a few weeks, we can go back to how things were. Like this never happened.”

“And Gamora?” you asked, as he let you go.

“We still have much to discuss, her and I. This competitive streak has gotten the best of her.”

“And you rewarded her.”

You took a step back, rubbing your arms as you felt his gaze on you as your stomach growled.

“It doesn’t matter,” you replied flatly. “She’ll always win, Thor. You’ve proven that much to me. I’m tired of fighting with her.”

“You won’t fight any longer. I want you to move into the compound.”

You padded toward the kitchen, shaking your head as you opened the fridge.

“I like it here. Keeps me out of trouble, as you said.”

You busied yourself pulling out a carton of eggs as you pulled a bowl from a cabinet.

“You’d still have your freedom. Bigger space to move about.”

“As long as she despises me, I’d rather not,” you denied, cracking the eggs into the bowl as Thor sat in a dining room chair. “You set ground rules for me when you pushed me away. I’ve done them, just as you asked. I try my best to make sure you’re happy and I’m still punished. She gets nothing. Even when she sold me out, you took her side over mine. Like you always do. I should be used to it now.”

The pan clatters onto the stove as you let it heat up, turning around to watch his clenched jaw.

“I don’t want a vacation. I don’t need it. I want to be able to clear out all the jewelry places and bask in the fact that they can’t ever catch me. I like the rush of my motorcycle when I’m leaving, knowing that they don’t know where to find me. I may be reckless but it makes me feel alive and I like that feeling.”

You poured the eggs into the pan as Thor sat in silence, his hand under his chin as you continued on.

“If I cost you opportunities it’s because you don’t fully trust me and that isn’t on me,” you huffed, scrambling the eggs quickly. “You send me to places where Gamora could never even step foot because she’s not as nimble. Her mouth gets her into more trouble than I ever could.”

You plate the eggs quickly, sliding it under his nose.

“The only way I’m going back to the compound is to remind of her the manners that she never gives me.”

You slam down the condiments as you looked him in the eye.

“Salt?”

🚨

The headboard slapped viciously against the wall as you held your hands against it to keep your head from hitting it as you took every inch of Thor inside you. The wet sounds of skin on skin amid your squeals when he reached your sensitive spots made for an orchestra that was music to his ears.

“Can’t get enough,” Thor groaned above you, the sweat glistening over his chest as he fucked into you harder. “You feel so good.”

Your thighs burned with the ache of having them open for so long, Thor pulling another orgasm from you as you panted underneath him.

“Thor, don’t stop,” you begged, your body slowly going boneless as you were speared on his cock.

“Not until you give me one more, Princess,” he growled, holding the headboard as he slammed into you twice more before you finally broke.

You were flipped onto his chest, your breaths mingled as he cupped your cheek.

“A proper homecoming,” Thor sighs in relief. “It’s been so long.”

Your ankle tracker pressed against his calf as he raised an eyebrow.

“How long until it comes off?”

“He wasn’t clear,” you mumbled against his chest. “There wasn’t a lot of talking.”

You hid your smile at the remembrance of Barnes looked after he’d kissed you.

“I’ll speak to Loki. See how long it needs to be on. That puts you out of commission. Maybe Gamora will need to take over for a bit.”

You lifted your head, eyes wide and innocent as you blinked.

“Really? Does this mean I can take over the books?”

Thor smoothed your hair back as he pressed you back against his chest.

“I think so. It’s time Gamora proved herself instead of hiding behind the scenes.”

You smirked as you hid your face from him, your fingertip circling his chest.

“Good.”


End file.
